[ he's hardly the type to make a scene with these smaller displays of affection, but he won't necessarily go out of his way to try to hide it either. at this point, he thinks he's made it fairly clear that he's not going to get too chummy with just anyone, still wearing a face that tends to snarl or look disinterested, so even if he's caught with his hand in clara's, he wouldn't necessarily expect someone to take that as a suggestion that he's all around friendly either.
then again, with how much time he's already spent with the group aboard this station, he knows he's not necessarily completely closed off to them either. it's obvious by now just how necessary it is for all of them to work together, and if he wants to make sure his deal come through, he knows he needs to play nice.
but then there's clara's question, which he has to take a moment to think about what she's asking. turning to her, he raises a brow, considering it for a moment before his lips purse, letting off a shrug from one shoulder as he looks ahead. ]
Don't see why it would be. It's my name. [ but technically more personal than kovacs is. he gets what she's asking. ] Where I come from, everything's ... gotten impersonal. Surnames just tend to run easier. It's clean. Formal. People don't call me Kovacs cause I make them. It's cause they're not interested in anything else and I usually don't care if are.
[ he looks back to her, shrugging again, though almost a little more modestly. ] Rei was the first to start using Tak. [ clara had seen her, in the dream. ] Later, when the Envoys became our family, they used it too. Just these days — not really a lot of people around to use it anymore.
[ considering he doesn't have any family anymore. he sighs, giving a soft squeeze to her fingers. ]
But you can use whatever name you want. Anytime, anywhere.
[There's a give and a take when it comes to navigating figuring him out. Most times she thinks she has him pegged completely. Others, he surprises her. This is one of the times he gives her a bit of a surprise. Her eyebrow arches at the realization that basically everyone where he's from sucks.
More and more she understands exactly why he's as abrasive and rough around the edges as he can be. With her, he tries. Or maybe the softness he shows her just comes naturally. Her hand shifts in his, turning just enough that she can squeeze in return.
This conversation is good. It's keeping her mind off the pain she's feeling, and helps keep her grounded.]
I'll be sure to keep that in mind.
[She says in a way that sounds like trouble for him later, accompanied by a mischievous little glint in her eye that shines through the exhaustion. What sort of ridiculous names could she call him, she wonders?]
But just so we're in agreement, I'm laying claim to calling you Tak while we're here.
[Is she playing at being possessive to tease him? Or is she being serious? It's not likely she's going to let him know. The smile she's trying to turn her head away to hide is answer enough.]
[ talking about the elements of his past has never come easy to him; when it comes to explaining his world, about stacks and sleeves, about how he ended up in this body after an extended period in prison, that's all surface detail, easy to skim through, but when it comes to all that really mattered to him, it'd taken those dreams to really peel back the layers, putting a focus through a lens he'd been hesitant to peek through again.
and yet, clara had seen a portion of it, and with the way she'd held him through it, it makes it all just a little less terrifying to revisit, even if the pain continues to throb when he talks of it, of the envoys, of rei.
but when the pain strikes, she squeezes his fingers and she's warm, the feel of her hand easing him to breathe easier.
his eyes find hers with her tease, the weight lightening to where the smirk appears in his expression again. no one's been calling him tak while he's been here, even if some have already picked up on takeshi, but then, she's the only one he's even given the name too. ]
There's that bossy authoritative thing I like again. [ which there's definitely no way he'd come to regret admitting to it. ]
In that case - [She pauses just long enough to use her hold on his hand to pull herself in closer to try and steal a kiss. It's harder now, since she can't use her other hand to tug him in to her. But she figures he'll realize what she's aiming for and bend down to make it easier on her.]
I insist you meet me in the shower later. No arguing, do as you're told.
[It's whispered as she pulls away, and she's proud of the fact she managed to get every single word out without blushing or laughing at herself.
They're just about at the infirmary now, which is exactly why she's just kissed him. Another quick peck to the lips has her reluctantly pulling away, backing up until she's closer to the infirmary's door than to him. She flips her good hand up in a little wave, fingers already missing the feel of his against hers. But she knows he'll be there for her later, and she's independent enough to not need to ask him to come with her inside. She can take care of this herself. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
then again, with how much time he's already spent with the group aboard this station, he knows he's not necessarily completely closed off to them either. it's obvious by now just how necessary it is for all of them to work together, and if he wants to make sure his deal come through, he knows he needs to play nice.
but then there's clara's question, which he has to take a moment to think about what she's asking. turning to her, he raises a brow, considering it for a moment before his lips purse, letting off a shrug from one shoulder as he looks ahead. ]
Don't see why it would be. It's my name. [ but technically more personal than kovacs is. he gets what she's asking. ] Where I come from, everything's ... gotten impersonal. Surnames just tend to run easier. It's clean. Formal. People don't call me Kovacs cause I make them. It's cause they're not interested in anything else and I usually don't care if are.
[ he looks back to her, shrugging again, though almost a little more modestly. ] Rei was the first to start using Tak. [ clara had seen her, in the dream. ] Later, when the Envoys became our family, they used it too. Just these days — not really a lot of people around to use it anymore.
[ considering he doesn't have any family anymore. he sighs, giving a soft squeeze to her fingers. ]
But you can use whatever name you want. Anytime, anywhere.
no subject
More and more she understands exactly why he's as abrasive and rough around the edges as he can be. With her, he tries. Or maybe the softness he shows her just comes naturally. Her hand shifts in his, turning just enough that she can squeeze in return.
This conversation is good. It's keeping her mind off the pain she's feeling, and helps keep her grounded.]
I'll be sure to keep that in mind.
[She says in a way that sounds like trouble for him later, accompanied by a mischievous little glint in her eye that shines through the exhaustion. What sort of ridiculous names could she call him, she wonders?]
But just so we're in agreement, I'm laying claim to calling you Tak while we're here.
[Is she playing at being possessive to tease him? Or is she being serious? It's not likely she's going to let him know. The smile she's trying to turn her head away to hide is answer enough.]
no subject
and yet, clara had seen a portion of it, and with the way she'd held him through it, it makes it all just a little less terrifying to revisit, even if the pain continues to throb when he talks of it, of the envoys, of rei.
but when the pain strikes, she squeezes his fingers and she's warm, the feel of her hand easing him to breathe easier.
his eyes find hers with her tease, the weight lightening to where the smirk appears in his expression again. no one's been calling him tak while he's been here, even if some have already picked up on takeshi, but then, she's the only one he's even given the name too. ]
There's that bossy authoritative thing I like again. [ which there's definitely no way he'd come to regret admitting to it. ]
no subject
I insist you meet me in the shower later. No arguing, do as you're told.
[It's whispered as she pulls away, and she's proud of the fact she managed to get every single word out without blushing or laughing at herself.
They're just about at the infirmary now, which is exactly why she's just kissed him. Another quick peck to the lips has her reluctantly pulling away, backing up until she's closer to the infirmary's door than to him. She flips her good hand up in a little wave, fingers already missing the feel of his against hers. But she knows he'll be there for her later, and she's independent enough to not need to ask him to come with her inside. She can take care of this herself. ]